Today I am delighted to have author and journalist Steven Gaines on the show!

Steven is the bestselling author of a number of biographies and nonfiction books including Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in the Hamptons and The Love You Make: An Insider’s Story of the Beatles.

His journalism has appeared in several major publications such as Vanity Fair and The New York Times, and he is  the co-founder and past vice-chairman of the Hamptons International Film Festival.

After decades of writing the life stories of others, Steven’s latest work, his memoir One of these Things First, showcases a defining moment in his own life.

Listen in as we chat about the literary art of writing a memoir that is both truthful, and tells an engaging story for readers.

In this episode Steven and I discuss:

• How to identify the juicy moments of your life to craft into a memoir.
• Finding, but not clinging, to the “tent pole” of your story.
• Pushing the story forward and staying true to the events.
• The role of humor in memoir, and how to do it right.
• The when, where, and how of releasing your story to the world.

Plus, Steven’s #1 tip for writers.

About Steven Gaines

Steven Gaines is the bestselling author of Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in the Hamptons, The Sky’s the Limit: Passion and Property in Manhattan, The Love You Make: An Insider’s Story of the Beatles, and Simply Halston, the biography of the fashion designer, among other books.

His journalism has appeared in Vanity Fair, the New York Observer, The New York Times, and New York magazine where he was a contributing editor for 12 years. The co-founder and past vice-chairman of the Hamptons International Film Festival, Gaines has lived on the east end of Long Island for more than 40 years.

His memoir, One of These Things First, is now available in both hardcover and paperback.

To connect with Steven check out his website at www.stevengaines.com.

One of These Things First

This book follows the story of Gaines as a 15-year-old Jewish boy in 1960’s Brooklyn and his trajectory from his grandparent’s bra and girdle store to, after a failed suicide attempt, a private room in one of the most exclusive psychiatric hospitals in the world.

Here he meets a brilliant young psychiatrist who promises to cure him of his homosexuality and provide him with the normalcy he longs for. At the hospital he also meets a Broadway producer, the husband of superstar Mary Martin, who opens a new world for him, an editor who claims she was President John F. Kennedy’s lover and other eccentric, wealthy neurotics, who make him feel like “Eliza Doolittle at the psycho country club.”

Now a journalist, novelist and biographer who has chronicled some of the 20th century’s most notable artists such as the Beatles and fashion designer Halston, Gaines takes a wry look back at his early years and coming out in Brooklyn.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 195

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 195: The Art of Writing Memoir — Interview with Steven Gaines appeared first on DIY MFA.

To help you enjoy this special week between Christmas and New Year’s, we’ve got an awesome show for you featuring author Stephen Morris!

Stephen holds degrees in medieval history and theology from Yale and St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Academy. He is also a former priest of the Russian Orthodox Church.

He has written several historical and contemporary fantasy books as well as the nonfiction book When Brothers Dwell in Unity: Byzantine Christianity and Homosexuality. What drew me to this book in particular is how Stephen approached his research through close reading.

Listen in as we talk about Stephen’s research methods, and how to dissect and truly understand texts.

In this episode Stephen and I discuss:

• What do these words mean? Understanding the context and time period of texts.
• Stephen’s research methods: The art of index cards.
• What to do when faced with contradictions and a lack of answers to your questions.
• Battling confirmation bias and how to safeguard against it.
• Dealing with push back when writing and publishing a controversial topic.

Plus, Stephen’s #1 tip for writers.

About Stephen Morris

Stephen Morris holds degrees in medieval history and theology from Yale and St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Academy. A former priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, he served as the Eastern Orthodox chaplain at Columbia University. A Seattle native, Stephen is now a long-time New York resident and currently lives in Manhattan with his partner, Elliot.

Stephen is the author of several historical fantasy and urban fantasy books that spellbind readers with their compelling storylines and characters, while his academic writing deals with Late Antiquity and Byzantine church life. His latest work of nonfiction, When Brothers Dwell in Unity: Byzantine Christianity and Homosexuality is available now.

To connect with Stephen check out his websites at www.stephenmorrisauthor.com and www.whenbrothersdwellinunity.com.

When Brothers Dwell in Unity: Byzantine Christianity and Homosexuality

Were men joined in a “brotherhood,” like matrimony by the Orthodox Church?

Bankers? They were to be forbidden communion, socially shunned, denied church funerals, and not commemorated during prayers for the dead. Men and women  who committed fornication or adultery? They were forbidden communion for years. Men and women who remarried after divorce or widowhood? They were to be forbidden communion for years and then only allowed communion on a few holy days and even then only after weeks of sexual abstinence. Men who had sex with other men? They were to be denied communion for either 7 or 80 days.

Penances traditionally attached to heterosexual sins–including remarriage after divorce or widowhood–have always been much more severe than those for a variety of homosexual acts or relationships. Just as Byzantine churches have found ways to accommodate sequential marriages and other behavior once stridently condemned, this book argues, it is possible for Byzantine Christianity to make pastoral accommodations for gay relationships and same-sex marriage.

If you decide to check out the book — When Brothers Dwell in Unity: Byzantine Christianity and Homosexuality — or the book Stephen mentioned in the interview — The Mabinogion — we hope you’ll do so via these Amazon affiliate links. This means if you purchase via one of these links, DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 179

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Have a fabulous New Year!

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 179: Research and Close Reading — Interview with Stephen Morris appeared first on DIY MFA.